Head Of Human Resources / CHRO

Vedant Fashions is a listed company and Indias leading celebration wear brand. After years of strong growth, the company has experienced revenue stagnation over the past two years. The organization is looking to further elevate the strategic impact and business partnership capabilities of the HR function.

This is primarily an accountability and gap-identification role. The Head HR / CHRO will partner closely with business leaders and the MD to identify improvement opportunities, drive accountability, and support continuous organizational development.

The good news: the senior leadership team (including long-tenured functional heads) is broadly willing to change. The senior leadership team is supportive of change and committed to organizational improvement. What they need is a leader who consistently drives execution, follow-through, and continuous improvement.

Additionally, the Head HR / CHRO must have the capability to transform specific departments — particularly design and merchandising — from an HR/talent perspective: assessing capability, identifying gaps, restructuring roles if needed, and bringing in the right people.

What Success Looks Like at 12 Months

• Performance reality is shared, not hidden: The organization has established a culture of transparent, data-driven performance assessment and continuous improvement. Leaders can articulate where their functions are strong and where theyre falling short — because the Head HR / CHRO has built the mechanisms and habits that make this normal.
• Design and merchandising are on an upgrade path: The Head HR/ CHRO has assessed the talent in these critical departments, identified specific capability gaps, and begun filling them — whether through hiring, restructuring, or development.
• The MD has a trusted people advisor: The Head HR/CHRO regularly surfaces issues, gaps, and opportunities that the MD wouldnt otherwise see. The MD trusts the Head HR/CHROs judgment enough to act on their recommendations.
• Accountability sticks: Commitments made in leadership meetings are tracked, followed up on, and have consequences. The Head HR/CHRO owns this rhythm and doesnt let it slip.

Scope & Boundaries

Directly Owns

HR strategy, policy, and operations for 550 direct employees (500 white-collar, 50 blue-collar)

Performance management system design and execution

Talent acquisition, development, and succession planning

Compensation and benefits framework

Departmental HR transformation (design, merchandising, others as needed)

Organizational accountability rhythms: tracking commitments, reporting gaps, following up

Training standards and capability frameworks for 2,700 franchisee store staff

Franchise team execution of people-related initiatives

Leadership behavior change across all functions

Authority: The Head Hr/CHRO has full decision-making authority within HR. Exits and restructuring above a certain level require CEO/MD sign-off.

Candidate Profile

Non-Negotiables

• Passionate and relentless: This person proactively identifies organizational challenges and acts with urgency to address them. They dont wait for someone to ask them to identify gaps — theyre already tracking them, documenting them, and bringing them to the MD with recommendations. High levels of ownership, resilience, and execution focus are essential.
• Business-first thinker: Connects HR actions to revenue, margin, and competitive position. Can sit in a business review and contribute substantively, not just observe.
• Common sense over frameworks: Solves problems pragmatically. Doesnt default to best practice models that dont fit reality. Can distinguish between what actually matters and what looks impressive in a PowerPoint.
• Comfortable with seniority gaps: Can sit across from functional heads with 20+ years of tenure and tell them, respectfully but clearly, where their department has gaps. Does this with data and conviction, not aggression.
• Consumer-facing industry experience: Retail, FMCG, QSR, hospitality, or similar. Understands seasonal dynamics, distributed workforces, and franchise/channel ecosystems.
• 10–14 years experience, fast-track career: From a solid institution. Promoted faster than peers. Has punched above their weight. Currently likely a senior HRBP, VP HR, or HR Head at a mid-size consumer company (₹500–2,000 Cr revenue).

Strong Preferences

• Has built or significantly improved HR systems from a low base of maturity (not just maintained already-excellent systems)
• Experience working in or with a promoter-driven or family-influenced business
• Has done departmental talent transformation — assessed a function, identified gaps, restructured or upgraded talent
• Comfortable in Kolkata — either based there or genuinely willing to relocate (not treating it as a temporary assignment)